Multiple hull water vehicle



June 30, 1964 R. L. ROBINSON 3,139,058

MULTIPLE HULL WATER VEHICLE Filed Feb. 5, 1963 fli l 46. Eva/way,

INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,139,058 MULTIPLE HULL WATER VEHICLE Ralph I... Robinson, 242 S. Artie St., San Marcos, Calif. Filed Feb. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 256,466 4 Claims. (Cl. 114-61) This invention relates to water borne vehicles and more particularly to a new and improved hull consisting of separate portions which may be operated in a divided position as a multiple hull water vehicle or may be joined together into one unit for a single hull water vehicle.

It has been deemed desirable for a vehicle for transportation on water to utilize divided or multiple hull sections with minimum draft. Catamarans, for example, utilize this principle and show superior qualities in many respects. However, catamarans and the like also have disadvantages, notable, a tendency to turn over or otherwise behave in a less than desirable manner when turning and maneuvering at high speeds.

I have devised a new and improved vehicle for water transportation such as a boat or the like which utilizes a divided hull, which I refer to as my Flexhull. The divided hull is so arranged that it can be used as a single hull by bringing the divided portions together or may be used when desired as a divided hull by having the divided portions apart from one another.

I have further devised a means by which the hull can automatically be opened and closed into divided sections or a single section, depending upon the speed, thrust and other forces against the vehicle.

Thus, it is an important object of my invention to provide a water borne vehicle with a plurality of bulls which may be joined together to form a single hull vehicle as desired.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a vehicle having great stability at low speeds and greater maneuverability at high speeds.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a vehicle having a plurality of hulls such that the hulls may be drawn together or separated depending upon the speed and forces acting thereon.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will be clear to those skilled in the art upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the same embodiment shown in FIGURE 1 with the hull sections separated from one another;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the same embodiment wherein the hull sections have been closed together into a single unit;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail, partially broken away, of an alternate method of opening and closing of the sections.

The entire boat is referred to generally by the numeral on the drawings. The entire unitary boat is seen to consist of two hull sections, 12 and 14 respectively. The hull sections have generally rounded and flared outer sides 52 and 54 and generally fiat inner sides 53 and 55. The two flat inner sides 53 and 55 come smartly together as shown in FIGURE 3 when closed so as to present a single boat shaped hull as indicated particularly in FIGURE 3. Each of the hull sections is provided with a notch 61 and 62 to accommodate the propeller shaft and motor 18 when the sections are closed.

The underside of the boat has not been shown in detail but it is understood that this may be a planing surface, a V-shaped surface, or any desired and customary underside design. There is a passenger compartment 16 including a seat 17 and such other devices as would be desired in a passenger compartment. It will be clear this passenger compartment could be covered and/or could take many difierent shapes.

The passenger compartment also contains a steering wheel 20 suitably connected as for example by ropes 22 and pulleys or the like (not shown in detail) to a motor 18 mounted upon the passenger compartment in a customary manner. The motor handle 19 may be used for steering and the like if desired.

The same principles herein outlined could be used with any form of motive power although a customary outboard motor has been shown. For example, an inboard motor could be utilized; or sail or air propeller drive or jet or other type power could be utilized without departing from the concept disclosed herein.

Four swivel mounting brackets of customary design (or bolts or pins) 28 are mounted at four positions as shown, two upon each of the half hull sections. A pair of front control levers 24 and a pair of rear control levers 26 comprising bars or the like rotatably mounted on the swivel brackets 28 at one end as indicated. Four swivel mounting brackets of customary design (or bolts or pins) 30 are mounted upon the passenger compartment as indicated and the arms 24 and 26 are rotatably mounted on brackets 39 at their other ends as indicated. Thus it will be seen that each of the hull sections is fastened by two of the arms, one each of arm 24 and 26, to the passenger compartment. It will also be seen that through the swivel end connections 28 and 30, the position of the hull sections may be moved inwardly and outwardly toward and away from one another, utilizing the passenger compartment as their common bearing position. It is clear that the arms 26 and 24 must be rigid to support the passenger compartment and that their connection to the brackets 28 and 30 respectively must be rotatable but at the same time must be rigid as through ball bearing connections tightly bolted through hull and the passenger compartment or the like so that there will be no sagging of the passenger compartment relative to the hulls. If difficulties were occasioned in connection with the foregoing matter, rollers or the like (not shown) could be positioned intermediate the pins 28 and between the passenger compartment and the hull surface so that firm support would be given.

It will be noted that a pair of arms 32 are connected by a pivotal mounting (such as a swivel bracket or bolt or pin) 31 one to each of the pair of arms 24 heretofore described, at points approximately midway the ends of arms 24. The arms 32 are fastened at their other ends by a pivotal mounting 33 of customary design to a mounting bar 35 fastened in customary manner to the end of a hydraulic cylinder rod 36 operating within a hydraulic cylinder 34. The pressure within the hydraulic cylinder 34 is controlled by a hand operated hydraulic pump 40 operated by hand lever 38 or the like. The hydraulic fluid flows through a line 41 connecting the pump 40 and the cylinder 34.

In practice, the hand pump may be actuated to open and close the hull sections as desired by the operator, or a predetermined pressure may be placed upon the cylinder 34 through the hydraulic system so that this pressure will tend to maintain the hydraulic cylinder in its extended position as shown in FIGURE 2 until by speed of the vehicle, sufficient forces are actuated against the hull surface as indicated by the arrows in FIGURE 3 overcoming whatever pre-determined pressure is set within the hydraulic cylinder, and causing the section to close.

It will be clear that the hydraulic system shown in the first four figures could be replaced by a mechanical system as indicated in FIGURE 5. In this case, a gear 43 is rotatably mounted upon passenger section 16 by bolt or the like 44 and has a handle 46 fixedly mounted to the gear 43. The gear 43 operates in engagement with a rack 42. upon a suitable slide arrangement 45 fastened to the passenger compartment 16. The rack 42 is fastened at its end to rod 36a similar to the hydraulic cylinder rod 36 heretofore described, from which it is connected by the same connections as previously outlined to the arms 32 and 24 so that the mechanism brings the hull sections together, or separates them by turning handle 46.

It will be seen that when at rest and particularly if the hull sections are held apart by a predetermined pressure through the hydraulic system, through springs, or the like, that a dual hulled vehicle will be presented. It will further be clear that upon passing through the water at increased speeds, water pressure as indicated by the arrows in FIGURE 3 will build up against the outside edges of the hull which are tapered backward towards a larger section, and will force the two hull sections together in one unit; When they come together they can either be held by clips, snap fasteners (not shown) or the like or may be allowed to hold themselves together only by the Water forces in which case When speed is reduced the vehicle will again open itself into two sections.

It will be clear that the principle outlined here is not only suitable for a boat as specifically illustrated, but would do for any vehicle traveling on water, particularly a vehicle such as the pontoons of a hydroplane or the like.

While the specific embodiment of this invention shown and described is fully capable of performing the objects and achieving the advantages desired, many modifications Will occur to those skilled in the art and it is not my intention to belimited to the specific embodiment shown which is for illustrative purposes only.

I claim:

1. A Water borne vehicle comprising: a first hull section having one tapered side and one flat side; a second hull section having one tapered side and one flat side, the two flat sides of said hull sections facing oneanother and being identical to one another; a passenger compartment, a first pair of lever arms pivotally fastened at one end of each arm to said passenger compartment and at the other end of each to saidfirst hull section; a second pair of lever arms pivotally fastened at one end of each to said passenger compartment and at the other end of each to the second said hull section; means connecting said lever arms so that they operate cooperatively; means biased against said lever arms under a predetermined force; and motor means attached to said vehicle.

2. A water borne vehicle comprising: a first hull section having one tapered side and one flat side; a second hull section having one tapered side and one flat side, the two flat sides of said hull sections facing one another and being identical to one another; a passenger compartment; a first pair of lever arms pivotally fastened at one end of each to said passenger compartment and at the other end of each arm to one of the said hull sections; a second pair of lever arms pivotally fastened at one end of each to said passenger compartment and at the other end of each to one of said hull sections at a distance from the connection of the first pair of lever arms to said passenger compartment and hull sections; means connecting one pair of said lever arms so that such pair of arms operate cooperatively; means, connected to the pair of lever arms operating cooperatively, to exert a resistable force against the arms tending to separate said hull sections from one another, said force being overcomeable by a sufficient force exerted against the tapered sides of said hull sections to move said hull sections toward one another along their flat sides; motor means attached to said vehicle; and means to steer said vehicle.

3. A water borne vehicle comprising: a first hull section having one tapered side and one fiat side; a second hull section having one tapered side and one fiat side, the two flat sides of said hull sections facing one another and being identical to one another; a passenger compartmerit; a first pair of lever arms pivotally fastened at one end of each to said passenger compartment and at the other end of each to said first hull section; a second pair of lever arms pivotally fastened at one end of each to said passenger compartment and at the other end of each to said hull section; means to separate said hull sections from one another acting through said lever arms, said means being such that the hulls may be allowed to move together towards one another along their fiat sides when pressure is applied against their tapered sides; motor means attached to said vehicle; and means to steer said vehicle.

4. A water borne vehicle comprising: a first hull section having one tapered side and one flat side; a second hull section having one tapered side and one flat side, the two fiat sides of said hull sections facing one another and being identical mirror images of each other; a passenger compartment; means fastening said hull sections to said passenger compartment in such manner that said hull sections may be separated from each other or may be brought into contact with each other along their flat sides; means to exert force to move said hull sections apart; means to relieve said force; motor means attached to said vehicle; and means to steer said vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,495,190 Stewart Jan. 17, 1950 2,916,004 Parr Dec. 8, 1959 2,992,444 Schuler July 18, 1961 3,002,484 Dube Oct. 3, 1961 3,081,729 Lee Mar. 19, 1963 3,083,382 Havens Apr. 2, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,007 Great Britain of 1898 158,425 Switzerland Jan. 16, 1933 709,400 Germany Aug. 15, 1941 

1. A WATER BORNE VEHICLE COMPRISING: A FIRST HULL SECTION HAVING ONE TAPERED SIDE AND ONE FLAT SIDE; A SECOND HULL SECTION HAVING ONE TAPERED SIDE AND ONE FLAT SIDE, THE TWO FLAT SIDES OF SAID HULL SECTIONS FACING ONE ANOTHER AND BEING IDENTICAL TO ONE ANOTHER; A PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, A FIRST PAIR OF LEVER ARMS PIVOTALLY FASTENED AT ONE END OF EACH ARM TO SAID PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND AT THE OTHER END OF EACH TO SAID FIRST HULL SECTION; A SECOND PAIR OF LEVER ARMS PIVOTALLY FASTENED AT ONE END OF EACH TO SAID PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND AT THE OTHER END OF EACH TO THE SECOND SAID HULL SECTION; MEANS CONNECTING SAID LEVER ARMS SO THAT THEY OPERATE COOPERATIVELY; MEANS BIASED AGAINST SAID LEVER ARMS UNDER A PREDETERMINED FORCE; AND MOTOR MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID VEHICLE. 